Notes tagged “Structure”

2025

Aug 5
Stories are composed of moments and spans Story structure leverages how human memory works. The key, memorable moments are turning points. But the spans that connect them are no less important.
5 min
Jul 1
Turning points are disasters and decisions A look at the 1998 romcom ‘You’ve Got Mail’ shows us that Dwight Swain’s scenes and sequels are an ideal tool for crafting compelling turning points.
6 min
May 6
Use one scene-sequel cycle each act In a Western Character-event story, the scene-sequel cycle repeats three times on the act level. Using ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ as an example, we examine how that works and how you can use it for your stories.
10 min
Apr 3
The map and the mountain: Fifteen core beats of story structure Story structure frameworks are like maps. They need interpretation. In this note, I briefly cover the framework I use and introduce a series on how it works.
7 min

Oct 24
Applying scene sequel format to story structure Author Dwight V. Swain’s scene-sequel format applies on a broader level to entire act structures.
6 min

Jul 23
The three underlying functions of inciting incidents When story theorists talk about inciting incidents, they’re often referring to one or more of three distinct story functions: the tipping of the apple cart, the call to adventure, or the decision to cross the threshold.
10 min

Aug 15
Distinguishing between structure and style in design Style is what people immediately think about (and remember), but structure is what communicates.
6 min